Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

तदत्र विषये दानं न तपो न व्रतादिकम् । तीर्थसेवां परित्यज्य तस्मात्त्वं तां समाचर

Transliteration

tadatra viṣaye dānaṃ na tapo na vratādikam | tīrthasevāṃ parityajya tasmāttvaṃ tāṃ samācara

Translation

„In dieser Sache genügt weder Gabe noch Askese, noch Gelübde und dergleichen. Darum, ohne den Dienst an den heiligen Tīrthas zu vernachlässigen, übe jene Tīrtha-sevā.“

Word by Word

• tat: that
• tat: Sambandha (Reference/अन्वय-सूचक)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• atra: here
• atra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक अव्यय (locative adverb)

• viṣaye: in the matter/topic
• viṣaye: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• dānam: gift, charity
• dānam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• na: not
• na: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation particle)

• tapaḥ: austerity
• tapaḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tapas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• na: nor
• na: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation particle)

• vrata-ādikam: vows and the like
• vrata-ādikam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vrata (प्रातिपदिक) + ādika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (vrata-ādika = 'vows and the like')

• tīrtha-sevām: service/attendance of a sacred ford
• tīrtha-sevām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक) + sevā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (tīrthasya sevā)

• parityajya: having abandoned
• parityajya: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pari-tyaj (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; धातु: त्यज् (to abandon) उपसर्ग: परि-

• tasmāt: therefore
• tasmāt: Hetu (Reason/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तस्मात् इति अव्ययीभाव-प्रयोग (ablatival adverbial: 'therefore/from that'); मूलतः पञ्चमी एकवचन

• tvam: you
• tvam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-संबोधनार्थ?; सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• tām: that (service)
• tām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• samācara: practice, perform
• samācara: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-ā-car (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; धातु: चर् (to practice) उपसर्ग: सम्-आ-

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A teacher-like figure instructs a pilgrim: charity, austerity, and vows are secondary here; the pilgrim is directed to serve the tīrtha—sweeping steps, offering water, guiding travelers—under a sacred landscape backdrop.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Bhīṣma (implied)
• Tīrtha-sevā
• Dāna
• Tapaḥ
• Vrata

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

For certain grave faults, inner reform must be joined to sacred geography: tīrtha-sevā is upheld as a powerful purifier.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse praises tīrtha-sevā in general; the specific tīrtha is not identified within this shloka.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Undertake tīrtha-sevā (pilgrimage/service at holy places) rather than relying solely on dāna, tapas, or vrata.